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(No Model.)

W. S. PHELPS.

RAILWAY TORPEDO. No. 285,671. Patented Sept. 25, 1883.

- INVENTOR 4a 15' $46 flaw B ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. rnowmmn m. Waihinglon. 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RA! LWAY-TORPEDO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

285,671, dated September 25, 1883.

Application filed December 28, 1882. (No model To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER S. PHELPS, of Wortendyke, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Torpedo, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved torpedo specially adapted for use on railways as a danger-signal; and to this end the invention consists'in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved torpedo. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on line a; ac, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the torpedo and a longitudinal elevation of the end of the rod for holding On a plate, A, two or more torpedoes or caps, 13, containing any suitable explosive, are fastened in some suitable manner. One edge of the plate is cut off flush with the edges of the torpedoes or caps B, and the other edge of the plate is bent upward and provided with a slot or hole, 0. A vertical flange or ridge,

D, parallel With the slot or hole (J, is formed on the upper surface of the plate A.

The above-described torpedoes are to be used with an apparatus for which I have applied for Letters Patent, which apparatus is provided with a sliding spring-bar, E, having a downwardly-projecting prong, H, at its end, which prong II passes through the slot or hole 0, the end of the bar E resting on the upper edge of the ridge D.

I provide two or more caps or torpedoes on one plate, A, so that if one fails to explode the other will explode, and thus a safe and reliable signal is obtained.

It frequently happens that a cartridge or torpedo is placed on a railway-rail, but does ,not explode when compressed or struck by the wheel, and the result is that the signal is not given.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a railway-signal torpedo, the combina tion, with the plate A, provided with theslot G and the ridge D on its upper surface, of the caps or cartridges B 13, secured on the said plate, substantially as herein shown and de scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

' WALTER SCOTT PHELPS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM STEWART, JAMEs HENRY Srorr. 

